Monday, 10 November 2014

JOHN FORTUNATO WINS 2014 TONY HILLERMAN PRIZE

Shots are delighted to learn that during the Tony Hillerman Writers
Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Wordharvest and Thomas Dunne Books/
Minotaur Books announced that John Fortunato's DARK RESERVATIONS has won the
2014 Tony Hillerman Prize for a best first mystery novel.John Fortunato was a Captain in the U.S. Army, Military
Intelligence, who served at the Pentagon during the early part of the Global
War on Terrorism. He is now a Special Agent with the FBI and has earned an MFA
in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. A native of
Philadelphia, he currently lives in Michigan with his wife and three daughters.

The Hillerman Prize is awarded annually to the best debut
crime fiction set in the Southwest. Previous winners include CB McKenzie's BAD
COUNTRY, Andrew Hunt's CITY OF SAINTS; Tricia Fields' THE TERRITORY; Roy
Chaney's THE RAGGED END OF NOWHERE; and Christine Barber's THE REPLACEMENT
CHILD.

Tony Hillerman's Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee mysteries, set on the
Navajo reservation, were the first "regional" mysteries to become
national bestsellers. His work has been praised by reviewers and the Navajo
Nation for its ability to combine Navajo traditions and beliefs with a
well-told mystery story. Hillerman's writing reflects his appreciation for the
natural wonders and stark beauty of the American Southwest and its people,
particularly the Navajo. His books have been translated into many
languages and frequently make the New York Times bestseller list. At age 83,
Hillerman passed away on October 26, 2008.

In 2013, Leaphorn and Chee returned in SPIDER WOMAN'S
DAUGHTER by Anne Hillerman, Tony Hillerman's daughter. In 2004, she launched
the first Tony Hillerman Writers Conference: Focus on Mystery through
Wordharvest, the business which she co-founded with Jean Schaumberg. The
conference highlights the craft and business of writing, featuring
presentations by prominent published authors. In 2010 conference organizers
broadened the focus to include general fiction and nonfiction.